GUEST EDITORIAL: Tighten rules for tax exemptions

While the admission from the Internal Revenue Service that it subjected conservative groups seeking non-profit status to harsher scrutiny is embarrassing, an analysis from the Associated Press makes it clear that the tax agency has been to this rodeo plenty of times.

Associated Press writer Tom Raum (hopefully his phone records won't be investigated as a result of his report) noted that presidential use of the IRS' power goes all the way back to the 1930s.

Franklin D. Roosevelt had the agency investigate the finances of his critics, including Louisiana Sen. Huey P. Long. IRS actions against people or groups opposed to whichever party holds the White House has been pretty consistent since then. So, as dumb as the scrutiny of conservative non-profits looks, it's pretty obvious that elected officials, or their close associates, have been encouraging the efforts for a long, long time.

This does not excuse what IRS workers have done, but another column, by James Bovard in The Wall Street Journal, states that members of Congress have put pressure on the agency to hassle their political opponents. ...

The federal tax code allows social welfare and educational organizations to be exempt from taxes.

While they are not allowed to advocate for specific candidates or political parties, some of them have become quite talented at coming close to the line.

Maybe it's time for Congress to narrow the definition of organizations that qualify for tax exemptions. This would be the easiest way to prevent what the IRS did a couple of years ago.

"Social welfare" and "educational" are extremely broad terms that could be taken to mean just about anything. Maybe Congress should simply change those to "churches" and "schools" and leave the issue-advocating organizations to their tax bills along with the rest of us.

The Greenwood (Miss.) Commonwealth

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

GUEST EDITORIAL: Tighten rules for tax exemptions

While the admission from the Internal Revenue Service that it subjected conservative groups seeking non-profit status to harsher scrutiny is embarrassing, an analysis from the Associated Press makes